1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to nanomaterial films, elastic device using the same and methods for stretching the same and, particularly, to a carbon nanotube film, elastic device using the same and a method for stretching the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Carbon nanotubes have received a great deal of interest since the early 1990s. Carbon nanotubes have interesting and potentially useful electrical and mechanical properties. Due to these and other properties, carbon nanotubes have become a significant focus of research and development for use in electron emitting devices, sensors, and transistors.
Generally, carbon nanotubes prepared by conventional methods are in particle or powder form. The particle or powder-shaped carbon nanotubes limit the applications the carbon nanotubes can be used. Thus, preparation of macro-scale carbon nanotube structures has attracted lots of attention.
Carbon nanotube yarn is one important macro-scale carbon nanotube structure. Examples of a method for making the carbon nanotube yarn is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 7,045,108 to Jiang et al. The carbon nanotube yarn is directly drawn from a carbon nanotube array. The carbon nanotube yarn includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive forces therebetween. Specifically, the carbon nanotube yarn includes a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments joined end-to-end by van der Waals attractive force therebetween. Each carbon nanotube segment includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes parallel to each other, and combined by van der Waals attractive force therebetween. The length of the carbon nanotube yarn can vary. However, the width of the carbon nanotube yarn is related to a size of the carbon nanotube array.
Carbon nanotube film is another important macro-scale carbon nanotube structure. Examples of a method for making the carbon nanotube film is taught by US patent application 2008/0170982 to Zhang et al. The carbon nanotube film also can be prepared by drawing from a carbon nanotube array. The length of the carbon nanotube film can be varied. However, both the width of the carbon nanotube film and the carbon nanotube yarn are restricted by a size of the carbon nanotube array. Nowadays, the size of carbon nanotube arrays is limited to about 4 inches, which is not conducive to preparing carbon nanotube films with large area.
What is needed, therefore, is a carbon nanotube film without limit in size.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate at least one embodiment of the present carbon nanotube film, in at least one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.